Disappearing Acts
by speedfanatic05
Summary: A traumatic accident takes Calleigh away from Speed, but not in conventional way.
1. Chapter 1

Disappearing Acts

Disclaimer: I own a 93 Saturn and that's just about all. Mild language.

A/N: I know it seems like Calleigh is always getting the bad end of the stick, but I get a better reaction from Speed that way.

Chapter 1

Usually , she would have one of the boys come with her, but she figured she could take care of this one by herself. She looked at her phone as she turned the corner to the crime scene. The display read : 3 new calls.

" Tim," Calleigh said to herself aloud. She opened the phone and spoke into it. " Speedle"

" Hi, Cal," Speed answered.

" How'd you know?" Calleigh asked.

" You know there's this thing called a caller -id..."

"Okay smart ass. What do you want? I just got to the scene."

" Can't I call my wife to check on her?" Speed asked feigning a hurt tone.

" I just left not ten minutes ago, Tim. You called three times."

" I miss you ."

"Aww, honey, that's so sweet," Calleigh said as she got out of the Hummer. She smiled to herself at the sentiment. They had been married almost seven years , yet Calleigh still felt like a newlywed. They had a six year old daughter that was the splitting image of Speed. She sighed audibly at the thought of her family.

" What's wrong, Cal?" Speed said.

" Nothing . Just thinking about Sascha.. And you. How you make my life complete," Calleigh replied as she got her kit out. She closed the door with her elbow and began walking to the yellow tape. " Look, Tim, I'm here. Let me collect this casing then I will be back in the lab."

" Okay. Come by the trace lab before you hunker down in ballistics ," Speed returned.

" Sure will. Love you."

" Love you too, Cal. Be careful."

Calleigh flipped her cell down and placed it back in it's holder. She then sat the kit down and put on the latex gloves, and fished the mag light out of the kit. She went over the scene for almost an hour before she found the casing.

" There you are, you little bugger," she said as she slipped the casing in an evidence envelope.

Clicking the her kit closed, she rose from her haunches and walked back to the Hummer. She got in and looked at her watch. She was out a little of an hour and the phone had not rang once.

" I'm so proud of you , Timmy. You waited," Calleigh said as she flipped her phone up. She would call him to let him know that she was headed back in. She got his voice mail. " Hi Tim, it's me. I've just finished up here, so I'll be there shortly. Love you."

Calleigh drove the Hummer through the streets of Miami. She had loved the city from the moment she arrived all those years ago to start work for Horatio. It had a pulse of it's own and the rhythm of it's beat was always rapid. Despite the horror that she saw on a daily basis, she thought that it was a lovely city.

Coming to an intersection, Calleigh was lost in thought about what she had lost over the years as well as what she had gained. Her best friend , Janet Medrano was killed when Hank Kerner escaped from prison, but Calleigh had caught him and brought him back to prison where he was going to be executed. After Janet, Calleigh began to lose her father to his drinking again. He had gotten worse when Calleigh announced that she was marrying Tim , and she had decided to handle Kenwall Duquense with a ten foot pole. She loved Tim, and nothing her father said or did would change that.

Startling her from her thoughts, Calleigh heard the car behind her honk it's horn angrily. She inched the Hummer forward, getting almost to the middle of the intersection. Before she could react, she saw it,a big black SUV was barreling down on her. Calleigh braced herself for the impact as much as she could and she said a little prayer just as the SUV connected with the Hummer's passenger side. Calleigh's head ricocheted off of the steering wheel and she succumbed to the invading darkness , with him on her mind.

S/C

Speed looked at his watch for the fifteenth time and glanced at the door. Calleigh had not come back, yet and he was getting worried. He looked at his cell phone , noticing that he had turned it off. . He powered it up and watched as the voice mail icon popped up. He dialed the number and waited for the prompts. He then heard her voice,_" Hi , Tim, it's me. I've just finished up here, so I'll be there shortly. Love you." _He smiled widely to himself as he deleted the message. He then noticed what time the call was made. He took his lab coat off and set off in search of her.

Walking into the hallway, he met Eric as he was passing by. " Hey Delko, you seen Calleigh?"

" Lost her again, Speed? Have you checked ballistics? You know she tends to slip through when she has new gun evidence."

" I told her to come by the trace lab before she went down there," Speed said getting upset.

" Since when have you known Calleigh to do what you tell her?" Eric replied playfully.

" Never," Speed said simply.

"Call down there. If she's there, tell her she will have to cook tonight," Eric said.

" Is that all you think about, Delko?" Speed said as he grabbed the nearest phone. He dialed the extension for ballistics.

" You went clubbing with me, is that all I think about?"

" You cease to amaze me Delko," Speed replied as he listened for someone to pick up. The phone continued to ring, unanswered.

Eric saw as Horatio was headed down the corridor towards them. He had a look of distraught that hung tightly on his ocean blue eyes.

" Gentlemen, we have a call out to a scene. A wreck," Horatio said stopping in front of them. He placed his hands on his hips and glanced at the floor, trying to find the words to say to him.

" What's so important, H?" Speed asked.

" One DB ."

" And?..."

"And the fact that a CSI Hummer was involved," Horatio said. " It was unoccupied. We need to get to the scene, so we can know what has happened."

Speed stood speechless as Horatio talked. He hadn't heard another word after he had said the Hummer was involved. He quickly got his field kit and followed Eric and Horatio out the door. Something was telling him that this was going to be bad.

S/C

Calleigh stirred slowly from her resting position at the steering wheel, raising her head slightly. Pain flooded through every inch of her ,as she moved to take the seat belt off. She looked around at the scene and saw the wreckage of the black SUV parked almost 200 yards from where she was. She figured that she was the cause of it. Unable to remember how she got into the accident, she slowly opened the door to the Hummer and got out. Her hands instinctively went to her sides to feel for any broken bones, grateful that there were none. When her hands rested on her holster, she looked down at the gun in confusion._ Why do I have a gun? _she asked herself as she took it out of the holster and put it in the seat Closing the door to the battered Hummer she , she began to walk away. She shook her head in more confusion as someone approached her with a concerned tone.

" Ma'am , are you ok? That was a wicked accident you were just in," the young man said grabbing her gently. She looked on the verge of passing out. "Why don't you take a seat? Wait for the rescue."

Calleigh smiled lightly , feeling her head getting heavy. She glanced at the black SUV and asked, " What about that other car? Is that person ok?"

" It doesn't look good, but you don't worry about that. What's your name?"

Calleigh opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't follow through, she couldn't remember. She nodded her head slowly, " I don't know. I can't remember." The pain in her head was getting unbearable. " Where am I?"

" On Collins and fourth," the young man said as he heard the sirens.

" Where is that?" Calleigh asked.

" In Miami. Are you sure you're ok?"

" I'm in Miami? Wow! I've always wanted to come here," Calleigh replied as she attempted to get up. The pain had subsided a little and she felt ok to walk.

" Ma'am, maybe you should wait for the ambulance," the young man called out to Calleigh.

Calliegh continued to walk away, turning to wave to him. The young man shrugged his shoulders and turned to walk back to his car. He passed the wreckage and saw a identification badge lying on the ground. Noticing it was the lady that he was talking to , he turned to call for her, but saw that she had disappeared. He tossed the badge back into the Hummer, and got back in his car to wait for the authorities, they would find her.

S/C

Approaching the scene, Speed felt the knots in his stomach turn harder. There was debris everywhere. Horatio stopped the Hummer on the outskirts of the yellow tape, and got out. While Eric and Speed prepared their kits and grabbed Horatio's, Horatio walked over to the Black SUV. He glanced inside the twisted frame and saw a male slumped over the steering wheel. It was obvious that he wasn't wearing a seatbelt and even more obvious that he was dead. Eric walked up behind him quietly , getting his attention.

" Um , H, Speed wanted to take a look at the Hummer, but I told him to wait for you."

Horatio glanced up at Speed who was staring at the wreckage of the Hummer with sorrow in his eyes. He then turned to Eric and slipped his glasses off, " Eric, I'll go with him. Process this will ya? Alexx should be on the way any moment. Watch out for Stelter, he'll probably be sneaking around here soon."

" I'm on it, H," Eric said as he glanced at the Hummer. He was certain that if Calleigh did survive , she was pretty banged up.

Feeling the young man's worry, Horatio put a comforting hand on his shoulder and said, " She's ok, Eric."

Eric nodded his head and then bent to open his kit. Horatio smiled lightly at him as he put his sunglasses back on, " Hang in there, Eric. We are going to find her." Horatio then walked slowly to where Speed was. As Horatio approached from behind, Speed quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. From the outside of the wreckage, it looked as if she had a thirty percent chance of walking away from this ok.

" Speed, are you ok to do this?"Horatio asked as they walked to the Hummer.

" Um, yeah, H," Speed replied , his throat tight with emotion. " Are there any witnesses?"

" If there are, Eric will get to them. Let's get this processed, ok?" Horatio said pulling a pair of latex gloves from his kit.

The men worked methodically as they traced the tire marks from the intersection to where the Hummer finally came to it's resting place. Speed looked at the passenger side door and bent to see black paint ingrained in the twisted metal. He collected it with care and placed the envelope inside his kit. Despite the despair that he was feeling , he continued to work in his regular effective mode. When he was through, he walked over to the driver's side and looked in with his mag light. He saw a stain on the steering wheel and took a swab. Horatio came up beside him and asked, " What do you have?"

" I was getting ready to see if this is her blood. I got paint transfer from the passenger side door. That means that the SUV hit Calleigh as it was coming through the intersection." Speed said applying Nihydrin to the swab. It turned a bright pink. Speed sighed as he showed the swab to Horatio. " It's her blood."

" Speed, take a swab for DNA ," Horatio said as he saw Eric walking to him.

Speed nodded and took another swab, bagged it , then tagged it. As he was coming back up from the kit ,he noticed something on the floor board. It was Calleigh's identification badge as well as her shield. Tears came to his eyes as he looked at her picture. He put the id in a bag then felt around for anything else. His hands rested on something as he heard Eric approaching.

" H, I found a witness who says that he talked to the woman who got out of the Hummer,"

"Who is he?" Horatio asked as he scanned the crowd that had gathered.

" Name's Archie Richardson. He says that the woman didn't know her name and didn't know where she was," Eric continued.

"Did he give a description?" Horatio asked.

" Blond hair , green eyes, about 5'3. It fits Calleigh's description perfectly. He said he thought to ask her out," Eric finished with a chuckle. He saw Speed as he shot him a menacing glare. " Sorry man. I didn't mean to make light of the situation."

" That's ok, Delko," Speed said as his tone soften. " H, I found her gun on the floorboard along with her identification and her badge. So she's unarmed and walking around with no id. She's going to be so easy to find." Speed returned sarcastically. This was eating him up inside, Calleigh was missing, and there was no way he could find her.

Horatio started to say something to Speed before he saw Stelter hovering over Alexx as she gave her preliminary analysis. " Could you , excuse me."

Stelter saw Horatio as he walked to him and began seething inside. There was something that he didn't like about Horatio Caine , and he was determined to find out anything to hang him. But he had a solid arrest record and a sterling conviction rate, so there was nothing he could do.

" Rick, what can I do for you?" Horatio said easily. He knew that Stetler wasn't too keen on him; he wasn't a favorite of Horatio's either, but Horatio downplayed the tension and watched as it always made Stetler squirm. " There aren't any cops here that you can investigate. Just one dead body."

" And one CSI vehicle that was involved. What was Detective Speedle doing at a crime scene alone? Isn't it protocol that all CSI's be accompanied to the scenes?" Stetler asked cooly.

" She, she was doing her job, which is more than I can say for you."

"Covering for her Caine?"

" No, she knew what she was going for ,and that is all that she did. As you can see, she never made it back to the lab," Horatio replied. He was getting weary of this conversation.

" Di d you recover the evidence that she went out for?"

" Investigation is ongoing , Rick. We haven't finished processing the vehicle."

" So , the answer is no then..." Stelter continued. He saw as Horatio had let his guard down somewhat. Seeing this as well, Alexx interrupted them.

" Horatio, I got something that I think you need to see."

Horatio knelt down to look at the body. Under the shirt he saw a badge. Undercover. He looked up at Stetler and then back down at the body.

" Alexx, TOD?"

" His liver indicates that he died about four hours ago. Rigor mortis hasn't even set in yet."

" Three hours ago? The accident happened only two hours ago," Horatio replied taking off his glasses to get a better look.

" There's something else, Horatio. He did sustain blunt force trauma to the head and his torso was crushed under the steering column, but that isn't what killed him," Alexx said as she struggled to flip him over. " That is what killed him."

" What is that," Horatio asked looking at the hole in the man's back.

" I don't know but I guarantee you that it didn't come from the accident. This man was murdered," Alexx stated as she rolled him back onto his back. " I 'll find you if I find anything else."

" Good job, Alexx as always. Rick, do you know anything about our friend here?" Horatio asked as he stood up and faced him.

" It's on a need to know basis, Caine. And you don't need to know right now."

" Rick, if you are hiding something from me that can help this investigation..."

" Are you threatening me , Horatio?"

" Just stating truths. Make sure that your hands are clean on this , Rick. Whatever happened to him, he has put one of my CSI's in danger. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go look for Detective Speedle," Horatio said as he walked to Speed who was waiting impatiently at the Hummer.

" What was that all about," Eric asked as he got in the Hummer.

" Developments. It's gone from an accident to a homicide. The vic in the SUV was undercover," Horatio said as he looked towards Speed. " Are you ok, Speed?"

" I just want her back, H," Speed replied quietly. He fingered the wedding band on his finger and let a tear drop.

As they drove, Horatio's phone chirped to life.

"Caine."

" Horatio, it's Adele. We got a call of a white woman fitting Calleigh's description found on twenty second and Collins. The person that called it in says that he was taking her to the hospital. Mercy memorial."

" Thanks Adele."Horatio said as he hung up the phone.

" H?" Speed asked longingly.

" Someone's picked Calleigh up and they are taking her to the hospital."

" That's where I need to be ," Speed returned, his voice shaking a bit.

Horatio floored the Hummer and switched the lights on as he headed for the hospital, hoping for Speed's sake that Calleigh was ok.

A/N: Let me know if I should continue this... Like it hate it?


	2. Chapter 2

Disappearing Acts

Disclaimer: As previously stated , I don't own a thing. Mild language warning.

Chapter 2

"Where is she?" Speed asked the nurse at the window. He didn't wait for Horatio to put the Hummer in park before he jumped out, and he practically sprinted to the registration desk.

" Excuse me sir?" the nurse asked in bewilderment.

" My wife, Calleigh Speedle. She was brought in twenty minutes ago," Speed replied with a hurried look on his face. He had to know if she was ok.

"I'm sorry, sir, but there is no one here by that name. If you please, next!"

" What? I said I'm looking for my wife..." Speed returned , feeling his temper rising.

" And I said that there is no one here, by that name. Besides if it was I couldn't give you that kind of information," the nurse replied.

It took all the strength that Speed possessed , to keep himself in check. He flipped out his badge and id as he spoke through clinched teeth, " This overrides any policy that you are afraid of breaking, and it assures me a permanent spot in this line until you find my wife."

Seeing the badge, the nurse began to type quickly, finding the information that he was looking for. She smiled nervously as the mainframe updated. " Um, Mr. Speedle, there was a Jane Doe that came in around that time. She's still back there, with a Dr. Patterson."

" Now see that wasn't hard now was it?" Speed replied putting his badge back in his pocket.

"Through this door?"

" Yes but you can't go back there..." the nurse stated as Speed opened the door and walked into the emergency bay.

Immediately, two very big security guards moved into action to stop him. Speed held out his hand and fished his badge out again. Instead of putting it in his pocket, he clipped it on his holster to expose it.

" I'm looking for Dr. Patterson," he stated simply. By that time , Speed heard the nurse at the registration desk tell someone else that they couldn't go back there. Speed glanced at Horatio as he strode through the door. " H."

" Speed. Have you seen her yet?"

" No , I was just telling my friends here that I was looking for Dr. Patterson, " Speed said as he turned back to the guards. " Is he around?"

The guards looked at Speed with humor in their eyes as they continued to stay silent. Speed moved to walk past them , but was stopped by the guards as they closed ranks. Horatio watched intently as Speed's frustration began to boil over.

" Fine you don't want me back here? I 'll get Dr. Patterson myself," Speed said as he began to call the doctor's name loudly. He saw as others looked at him curiously.

A doctor walked up to the guards, " David , Jerome, what's going on here?"

" You Dr. Patterson?" Speed asked pointing a finger at him.

" I am. You do realize that you are in an emergency room right?" the doctor replied, slightly perturbed.

"I apologize, but you see , I'm looking for my wife. She's blond , about 5'3 , green eyes," Speed said producing a picture from his wallet.

The doctor took the picture and glanced up from it. " Yes, she's the Jane Doe. You say that you are her husband?"

" Yes , is she ok?"

" She's fine physically, but she has some rather disturbing cat scans. If you follow me, I can take you to her. I do want to warn you, she's not remembering much."

" What do you mean?" Speed asked as he followed behind him. Horatio followed behind Speed.

" She sustained a very serious head injury in what I am thinking was a car accident. It has effected her memory very badly. She can't remember who she is , where she's at, and I suspect she's not going to know who you are."

" Are you talking amnesia?" Horatio asked making himself known.

" I am. You are...?" Patterson asked just noticing him.

" Lieutenant Horatio Caine, CSI. I am Calleigh's supervisor."

" Calleigh?"

" That's her name, doc. Calleigh Speedle." Speed said sadly.

" It's pretty. Like I said, she's experiencing severe memory loss, so I would be hesitant as to my expectations for her. Sometimes pressuring someone in this situation has the opposite effect," Patterson said as he stood in front of her door. " Don't ask her too many questions, let her offer the information."

He opened the door and walked in. She was lying on the bed staring out of the window. She saw as the doctor walked in with two handsome men behind him. Speed's heart leaped into his throat as she turned her head. She had a nasty gash on her forehead that was covered by a bandage, but other than that, she looked fine.

'" Okay. I found someone who can help us to identify who you are," the doctor said with a easy smile. " Do you recognize these two gentlemen?"

Calleigh looked hard at them then shook her head and closed her eyes. " I'm sorry doctor, I don't know these men."

Speed's demeanor dropped as he looked for any familiarity in her eyes, he saw nothing.

" Well this gentleman here , is your husband," Patterson said gesturing to Speed.

"Calliegh? You remember me right? Tim," Speed replied desperately.

" Who is Calleigh?" she asked blankly.

" That's you, honey. Calleigh Speedle. We were married seven years ago, we have a six year old daughter, Sascha. You love vanilla, you are a CSI, specializing in ballistics..."

" Ballistics? I don't like guns, why would I specialize in them? And what in blazes is CSI?" she asked.

" You are a crime scene investigator. Have been for almost ten years. Horatio went to New Orleans to recruit you himself."

" You're Horatio?" Calleigh asked pointing to him.

" Yes, Calleigh. Do you remember that day in New Orleans?" Horatio said gently.

Calleigh closed her eyes and thought hard. " No. I'm sorry."

" Nothing to apologize for," Horatio replied with a tiny smile.

Calleigh returned the smile back to the red head then turned her attention to the dark haired man standing closer to her. She search his eyes for anything familiar, finding nothing. She looked at his left hand spotting a wedding band. She held up hers and slipped it off of her finger. It matched his perfectly, but it meant nothing to her.

" I'm sorry, Mr. Speedle, but I can't wear your ring if I don't know who you are," Calleigh said as she put the ring in his hand.

Speed looked down at the tiny silver band in his hand and fought the tears back. He closed his hand into a fist , then slipped the ring into his pocket.

" Calleigh, you have to be released to Mr. Speedle. He is your husband."

" He is not," Calliegh replied rather coldly.

" Legally he is. He is going to take you home, Calleigh."

" Why do you keep calling me Calleigh? My name is Lauren."She said with a touch of anger.

" That's your sister's name," Speed offered.

" Where did it come from, Cal- Lauren?" Dr. Patterson asked truly intrested.

" I don't know , it just popped into my head," Calleigh replied.

" So you want to be called Lauren?"

" Yes."

" Calleigh,..." Speed started.

" Mr. Speedle, I just told you that my name is Lauren." Calleigh replied matter of factly.

Speed looked at the doctor in disbelief. He then glanced over at Horatio who was looking at Calleigh with sad eyes.

" Lauren, I am releasing you into Mr. Speedle's care. It would help if you go back to your home, be around your surroundings, maybe something will click for you. I'll prescribe you some pain killers for your headaches and I want you to come and see me in about a week for a follow up. Ok?"

" Sure , doctor."she said shrugging her shoulders.

" I'm going to draw up the discharge papers. You can get dressed now."

Speed and Horatio followed behind the doctor to give Calleigh some privacy. When he got outside the room, Speed exploded.

" How long is she going to be like this? Is this permanent?"

" I don't know. Sometimes this last for weeks maybe months. In worse cases, I've seen it go on for years. It depends on how much information she allows. Remember, don't push her. She may regress instead of progress. Be patient, Mr. Speedle."

" That's easy for you to say, you haven't lost your wife," Speed replied angrily.

"Mr. Speedle, you haven't completely lost her. She's disappeared for a while, with a little time and patience maybe she could find her way back to you." Patterson said as he presented the papers for him to sign.

Speed sighed heavily as he signed the papers, then waited for the attending nurse to wheel Calliegh out. This wasn't going to be easy, but he was willing to fight to regain the life that they had with each other.

TBC...

A/N:

Isn't this sad. Calleigh isn't Calleigh anymore... :(


	3. Chapter 3

Disappearing Acts

Disclaimer: Same as before. Mild language.

Chapter 3

The ride back to the apartment was deathly silent. Speed glanced at Lauren as she stared out of the window. It seemed as if she was trying to remember things as she went by them. He started to touch her, but he thought twice about it, remembering the wedding band that was in his pocket. When he finally turned into the driveway, he exhaled loudly, breaking the awkward silence.

" We're here," Speed said as he put the Tahoe in park.

" This is where I live?" Lauren said opening the door to get out. " It's beautiful."

" This is where _we_ live, Calleigh," Speed corrected. He wanted her to realize this badly.

" Mr. Speedle, I asked you to call me Lauren," she shot back.

" I asked you to call me Tim, but you refused," he replied.

" Are you always like this?"

" Like what? You asked me to call you Lauren, I asked you to call me Tim. What's the big deal?"

" You are so childish, it's ridiculous. Just please call me by my name ,ok?" she retorted.

" Fine ,_Lauren._ The least you could do is call me Speed. I can't really deal with you calling me Mr. Speedle."Speed said as he began walking to the door.

" Speed? What is that some kind of attempt to retain your youth or something?" she asked walking behind him.

" No , it's short for Speedle. But when I was younger, I loved to race motorcycles. I still have one, even though you tried to get me to sell it. My Ducati doesn't go anywhere without me." Speed said as he unlocked the door. He stepped aside to let Lauren in.

" Umm interesting," Lauren said as she walked in the door. She heard the television on in the living room. Moments passed before she heard the little pit patter of feet as they raced across the floor.

" Daddy! Mommy! You're home," Sascha Speedle said as Speed lifted her up into his arms. He hugged and kissed the little girl on her cheek. " Beth let me watch Spongebob!" she said as Beth the babysitter walked behind her with a big smile on her face.

" She did? I'm going to have to thank Beth for that," Speed replied happily as he turned to Lauren.

Sascha looked at her and smiled, her dark eyes mirroring those of her father's. Sascha then squirmed in his arms , signaling that she wanted to be let down. She then walked to Lauren and tugged on her pants. Lauren looked at the little girl trying to remember but she couldn't.

"Mommy," Sascha whined as she tugged on her pants more.

" Sascha, I'm not your mother," Lauren said coolly as she walked into the living room, leaving a speechless father and daughter in the hallway. Speed looked at the tears that were forming in his daughter's eyes and bent down to her eye level.

" Sascha, mommy's not feeling good right now. Maybe Beth could take you for some ice cream. Would you like that?"Speed asked as he glanced at Beth who walked up and took Sascha's hand.

Speed took some money out of his wallet and handed it to her. He then watched them as they walked out of the door. With anger rising inside of him, he thundered into the living room.

" What the hell is your problem? Why did you do that? She doesn't know what happened to you!" Speed yelled.

" I didn't remember her. You want me to lie to the little girl?" Lauren spun around to meet him, with fire in her eyes.

" That little girl is your daughter. She's only six years old! Christ, why didn't you go ahead and tell her that Santa isn't real while you were at it," Speed asked as he threw up his hands.

" He's not. I'm sorry , Mr. Spee- Speed , but I don't know how to break it to you and Sascha in a nice way. I don't know you and I don't have any feelings for you."

" Nice. Real nice. I thought you were going to try and be open about this! Not two minutes in the house and you are telling us that you don't love us. You haven't even tried to talk to her , to get to know her," Speed returned as he turned away from her. He didn't want to see her like this. It was like she was a totally different person.

" I am trying. You don't know how hard it is to come into something feeling like you don't belong. I see all these pictures , but I don't know who that is in them. She looks like me, but she's not," Lauren said as tears began to fall.

" It's you, Calleigh. Can't you see that? Can't you feel the love that is in this house?" Speed pleaded . " You are our life. You are my life."

" I'm sorry , Mr. Speedle . I can't do this. I can't stay here tonight. I can't live up to what you expect of me." Lauren said as she turned to walk out of the living room. He had called her Calleigh again, and she couldn't bear it much longer. The pressure she felt was too overwhelming.

" What? You want to leave? Where will you go?" Speed asked following her down the hallway.

" I don't know , but I can't do this. I thought I could , but I am not her, Mr. Speedle,"she replied as she let a tear drop from her eyes.

Speed stared at the ground. Never in a million years would he have thought that he would lose Calleigh. His heart felt as if it was drowning in a sea of despair. He moved to embrace her and she side stepped him. He turned and walked away in frustration. From the living room, he heard the door close. Coming back into the hallway he saw as she had walked out of the front door. He flipped his phone up and dialed a number. If she couldn't stay here , he would've rather her stay with someone he trusted.

S/C

Horatio was in his office looking over the reports from the accident . He looked up to note the time before he got up to stretch his aching muscles. He had been in his office every since he had come from the hospital, and now he was ready to go home. Nothing had came back on the undercover cop in the black SUV , and he was looking at dead ends on the hole in the man's back. Resigning to start again with fresh eyes, he grabbed his jacket and turned off his light.

He hadn't got on the elevator when he heard his cell phone chirp from inside his jacket pocket. He had no intentions on answering it, but he glanced at the caller id any way. Noticing the number, he answered, " Speed . What's going on?"

" She's gone , H. She left," Speed said his voice thick with sadness.

" What happened?"

" We fought. She didn't come off too well to Sascha..."

" Is she ok? Where did she go?" Horatio asked quietly. He was just about as concerned with Calleigh as Speed was.

" I don't know, but she doesn't know where she is. I'm afraid for her, H."

" I'll find her, Speed . Then maybe you can sit down like adults and talk this out,"Horatio said as he got into the elevator and pressed the button to the parking garage. " I'll call you if I find her, ok?"

" Thanks , Horatio," Speed said as he hung up.

Horatio flipped his phone down and got off the elevator as it reached the parking garage. Walking to the Hummer, he saw a figure in the shadows. He placed his hand on his gun , preparing himself for anything. As he came closer, he saw the long blond hair. It was Calleigh.

" Lauren?" Horatio said quietly. He remembered her request to be called by that name. " What are you doing here?"

Lauren turned around to face Horatio, her tears dropping in floods, " I don't know how I remembered this place, but it just stood out. I can't do this, Horatio."

" You remembered my name, that's a start," Horatio replied as he gave her a small smile. " You want to talk?"

" Yes. Could we?" Lauren asked , her southern accent thickening.

" Sure. Coffee sound ok to you?" Horatio asked as he opened the door for her.

" Fine with me handsome," Lauren said as she got in the Hummer, wiping the tears away .

" Oops ! Did I just say that?"

" Yes, and you will be happy to know that , it's something that you used to call me all the time. So no harm no foul," Horatio stated as he closed the door.

The drive to the coffee house was peppered with light conversation . It was a drastic difference from what she felt with Speed earlier. With Horatio she felt at ease. When they sat for coffee, she brought up the point to him.

" Why is it that I feel so at ease with you and not Mr. Speedle?" she asked as she blew over the cup.

" He loves you, he wants you back."

" He's going about it the wrong way. I couldn't talk to him. He is so, so...

" Stubborn?"

" Yes! It's irritating. I couldn't get a word out before he would come back with something else."Lauren said as she put the cup down on the table.

" He's trying, Lauren. You were the love of his life when he woke up this morning, now he is faced with trying to get you to just remember him. I can understand why he is so impatient. If my wife had amnesia, I would try my damnest to get her back," Horatio said .

" Why is it that you aren't wearing a ring? You seem like a down to earth man."

" Well, Lauren, I had a chance a long time ago, but I missed it," Horatio replied as he stared into his cup. His heart still belonged to her.

" She must've been a catch if she still has that effect on you. What happened?"

" Different story for a different night," Horatio said changing the subject quickly. " Are you ready to give this a try?"

" What?"

" Going back. Give it a day or two. If nothing gets better, you can leave. But try, Lauren. At least give it a try." Horatio said as he pulled out his money to pay for the coffee. Lauren looked at him and smile slightly. _This is a good man,_ she thought.

" Okay, I will try. But if nothing clicks, I'm out," Lauren returned as they walked to the Hummer.

S/C

Speed sat on his daughter's bed , thinking of a way to explain what was happening. He smoothed the dark curls that cascaded into her face. Even though she had his dark features, Sascha's mannerisms were all Calleigh. It was what he was contending with at the moment.

" But why did mommy say that she wasn't my mommy if she is?" Sascha asked yawning.

" Because, mommy got into a bad accident and bumped her head. Now she is having a hard time remembering everything," Speed said pulling the covers up on her.

" Why did she leave, daddy? Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh no, Sascha. You didn't do anything wrong. Mommy's just got some things to figure out. She may not be living with us for a while until she can do that."

" Will she remember, daddy? I miss her."

" I don't know sweetie, but I miss her too. Goodnight, honey," Speed said as he got up. " I will be in my room if you need me, ok?"

" Okay daddy."

Speed walked to the door and turned out her lights. In a moment he heard her call for him again.

" Daddy!"

" Yeah, hon?"

"Are you going to forget?" Sascha asked fearfully.

" No, baby. There's no way I could forget you or your mother. Now go to sleep," Speed replied gently.

" Daddy!"

" Yes Sascha?"

" I love you. I love mommy too."

" I love you . Good night .

"G'night."

Speed then crossed the hallway to get to his room. Sitting down on the bed he heard the doorbell ring. He got up quickly and descended the stairs. Opening the door he saw Lauren standing there with an awkward smile on her face. Horatio stood behind her meekly.

" Give it another try, Speed?" Lauren asked .

" You willing to try again?" Speed said trying to hide his joy and failing miserably at it.

" Only if you promise me that you won't bombard me with anything until tomorrow, and show me the guest room. I'm tired."

" How did you know we had a guest room? I didn't show you around yet. Are you remembering things?"

" Little by little , some things come to me, but not enough. Just give me time , Speed. I promise that I will be a little more open. I have a little girl to apologize to when she wakes up," Lauren said as she walked in. She looked back at Horatio with an appreciative smile playing on her lips.

" Thank you Horatio."

" You are welcome, Lauren. You two get some sleep. Maybe you can sort this out in the morning. Speed, I will need you to come in for a little while at least."

" Horatio, I was planning on taking a day..."

" Bring her along. Maybe if she sees the lab, something will click. You never know." Horatio replied as he turned to walk to the Hummer.

Speed waved to Horatio as he drove off . Closing the door, Speed looked at Lauren with happiness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry for earlier, Lauren. I get so frustrated easily."

" It's ok, Speed. I 'm not the best person to be around right now. Let's talk in the morning."

" I can show you to the guest room, your clothes are upstairs in our room. Let me know if there is anything I can get for you."

" There is something, Speed," Lauren said almost in a whisper.

" What?"

" My life back."

" I'm working on that," Speed replied as he left to prepare the room for her. She watched him as he left , thinking of something to help her to try to remember, but it was no use. It would have to wait until the morning.

TBC...

A/N: The new Calleigh is kinda mean isn't she?...


	4. Chapter 4

Disappearing Acts

Disclaimer: In the first chapter. Mild language warning.

Chapter4

Speed turned over in his bed , hugging his pillow, dreaming of her. He awoke with a start to find that the bed was empty, and Calleigh who was now Lauren, was no more than a stranger. He shook the cobwebs from his mind , cringing at the thought of not being able to hold her like he always did in the mornings before work. He didn't know how to greet her now that she was unofficially separated from him. He glanced at the night stand, seeing the ring that she gave him. He had placed it near the photograph that he kept on the night stand as a reminder of what he was fighting for. He would see the ring back on her hand, and she would be back in his arms.

As he pulled the covers away from him, he heard giggles coming from downstairs as well as the clanging of pots and pans. He smelled an awful stench in the air as if something was burning. Grabbing a t- shirt and his sleep pants, Speed opened his room door. Plumes of smoke filled the hallway and he coughed as he made his way down the stairs.

" Ooooh , daddy's going to be mad at you. Those are his gourmet pots," Speed heard Sascha say with laughter in her voice. Speed smiled to himself.

" It's just a little burn spot, I'll buy him some more," Lauren replied as she giggled some more.

" Do I need to call the fire department?" Speed said as he peeked his head around the corner of the kitchen.

" No, we were trying to surprise you with breakfast in bed, but it kinda went bad. I burned the scrambled eggs," Lauren replied as she turned off the burner. She placed a hand on Sascha's shoulder. " She helped out a lot. You've got a wonderful little girl, Speed."

" I didn't do it by myself,"he returned as he bent to hug Sascha.. He saw a hint of sadness briefly in her dark eyes. " Have you been getting to know Lauren, Sascha?"

" Yeah, daddy. She doesn't like everything that mommy likes and she said that her name is Lauren. My mommy's name is Calleigh." Sascha said. It was evident that the laughter was gone in an instant.

" That's right , Sascha. Remember what I told you last night?"

" Mommy had a bad accident and she forgot about us?" Sascha said quietly.

Speed looked at Lauren, noticing as she dropped her head. He then turned to see tears starting to form in his daughter's eyes. " Sash, why are you crying?"

" I want _my_ mommy back! She looks like her, but she's not. She doesn't smell like mommy," Sascha said as she ran out of the kitchen.

" Sascha,..."

" Speed , let her go," Lauren said as she turned to put the burned pot in the sink. " She's not old enough to understand what is going on. I'm sorry for this. She's too precious to be going through this. It probably would've been better if I'd never came back."

" What?" Speed asked as he moved closer to her. He wanted to touch her, to feel her skin under his.

" Maybe this is wrong. Maybe I really don't belong here. I'll be making it hard for you and Sascha.," Lauren replied feeling the closeness of Speed. She inched over some to give herself room. " I don't want to put her through any more of this."

" What happened to trying again? Why are you giving up so easily?"

" Didn't you just hear her? She wants her mother. I am not her. I don't smell like her , I don't like the things she liked. Why are you pushing this?" Lauren asked as she spun to face Speed. Her face was inches from his and she felt something in that moment. Speed leaned in to kiss her, his lips brushing lightly passed hers. Before the kiss could get any more heated, the phone rang, pushing Lauren back to the sink.

Speed cursed under his breath and answered the phone, " Speedle."

" Good morning , Speed. There's a body..." Horatio started.

" Isn't there always one?" Speed replied sarcastically.

" Am I interrupting anything?" Horatio replied ,miffed.

" As a matter of fact, H..."

" I apologize, but I do have a scene that is in desperate need of being processed. Can you get here in twenty minutes?"

" Yeah, sure boss." Speed replied sullen. He felt like he had missed out on a chance with Lauren.

" And bring Lauren. Maybe she can help us," Horatio added.

" Okay, we'll be there in twenty," Speed said as he hung up the phone. He turned to Lauren, " Are you ready for work?"

" Work?"

" We've been summoned. Your kit , gun , and badge are at the lab. We will pick it up from evidence before we leave for the scene," Speed said walking to the stairs. He still felt the electricity of his contact with her as he prepared for work.

S/C

Speed tried to ignore the looks and the whispers as they walked into the CSI building . There was no doubt that everyone had heard by now that Calleigh had lost her memory, and that she was now being called Lauren. He even heard some people snickering as he passed them. Keeping his temper in check he continued to walk, sighing with relief as the elevators closed. He watched Lauren as she pressed the floor for the ballistics lab.

" Lauren, you just pressed the floor for ballistics. We are going to the layout room."

" Oh, I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that, just habit I guess."

" Do you remember how to get to the layout room?" Speed asked with hope in his voice. Slowly, she was remembering.

" I- I think so," Lauren said as her hand hovered over the buttons. She then pressed one, sure that she had pressed the right one. " Am I right?"

" Almost. You were getting ready to send us to see Alexx, in the morgue," Speed said as he pressed the correct button. " Do you remember Alexx?"

" Sorry, Speed. I don't. Everything is just blank right now. Ugh! It's so damned frustrating to feel that you should know something, but nothing comes up," Lauren said as she pounded her fist against the elevator wall.

" Look Lauren, I more than anyone, want you to regain your memory, but you can't push this. I'm realizing this now, rushing will not help. Take your time." Speed replied gently.

" That's what Horatio said to me last nigh. More or less," Lauren said as she daydreamed slightly.

Speed looked at her and saw what he had seen when he proposed to her. It was love. Could it be that Lauren was falling in love with Horatio?_ Can't be. Underneath it all, she's still Calleigh, _Speed thought to himself. Lauren saw as Speed was lost in his thoughts as the elevator doors opened .

" Speed we are here. Speed?"

" Huh?"

" We are here. What were you thinking about?" Lauren asked giving him a small smirk, her accent thick.

" Oh, nothing," Speed replied as he sighed heavily. He dismissed the thoughts of his wife and Horatio. It simply could not happen.

" Good morning, Horatio!" Lauren had said a little too eagerly. Speed moved to his regular position at the lay out table.

" Good morning, Lauren. I hope you had a goodnight's sleep," Horatio said as he handed her a long white box.

" A present?" Lauren asked smiling a little too much.

" More like a necessary tool. You are going to need it if you are going on the scene with us. Open it."

Lauren opened the box and pulled out her gray 9mm. She held it in her hands, carefully checking it over. She chambered a round and made sure the safety was on. It was almost as if she was channeling the old Calleigh.

" Well, it seems familiar to you." Speed said as he looked away. Horatio looked at the joy that was becoming evident in her eyes.

" It's weird. I loathe guns, yet having this one in my hand seems so , so ... natural." she said as she strapped her holster on. She then placed the gun in the holster. She looked like Calliegh Speedle again.

" It's yours. We found it in the Hummer after the wreck. Speaking of which, Eric should be coming with your id and your badge," Horatio said as he looked at his watch. He then saw Eric as he opened the door to the room.

" I come bearing gifts," Eric said as he presented Lauren with her badge and id. He also had a slight smile on his face. " Nice to see you again, Cal- I mean Lauren. Do you remember me?"

" Sorry, I don't," Lauren said simply.

" He's Eric Delko," Speed huffed. " Can we get to the matter at hand here? I thought we had a scene to process."

"Actually, we have two scenes. Another one was just called in at the Tamani Canal. Eric , you and Speed take that one. Lauren and I will take the first one. Alexx will meet you there after she finishes her preliminary on the first one. Any questions?"

Speed resisted the urge to shoot up his hand and ask if Horatio was trying to steal his wife. Instead he shook his head somberly and watched as a overjoyed Lauren followed Horatio to the door.

" If there is nothing else, I'll see you later. Speed, keep me posted." Horatio added as he held the door for Lauren.

" Will do boss," Speed replied in a heavily sarcastic voice. His heart felt sick as he watched them walking through the halls talking and smiling.

" Speed, what's up with you?" Eric asked noticing the attitude that Speed had.

" Nothing. You ready to go, or do I need to find a leather couch?"

"Yikes! Who pissed in your coffee?" Eric asked as he started to the door.

" Nothing, and let's leave it at that," Speed returned. He now faced the reality of the situation.

TBC...

A/N: I couldn't think of the name of the trail that Horatio said in Golden Parachute as he and Eric arrived on the scene of the plane crash. If anyone knows, please tell me. Forgive me if it's not spelled right.

A/N # 2: This is getting to become it's own monster. I am not a H/ C shipper, but it makes for good drama, doesn't? I promise to do something about it by the time this story is over...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Disappearing Acts

Disclaimer: Do I have to go over it again? I don't own them... Never will , Mild language.

Chapter 5

Speed looked up from the evidence that he was trying to collect, feeling a pair of eyes on him. Turning , he saw as Eric was watching him intently. He sighed deeply and put his tweezers down. Without looking up he, spoke in a quiet voice, " I don't know how to get through to her. It's like she doesn't want to remember. Every time I try to get her to remember she clams up. I can't put Sascha through this for long. Lauren has not been the best to her."

" Tim, you know the doctor said it could take a while. It's only been one day. I think you are trying to rush this."

" I can't sit on my ass , Delko. I 'll lose her if I do. I might have already lost her," Speed said as he stood up to face his friend.

" What do you mean?" Eric replied as he put his air tanks down on the ground.

" I may be wrong , but I think Horatio is making a play for her," Speed said as he glanced at the ground. The words stung him even as he thought about them.

" You're kidding , right?"

" No."

" What makes you think that? He hasn't done anything but help her. Horatio wouldn't do that. He's too good of a man to do that."

" That's the point , he is a man. Lauren slash Calleigh, is a beautiful woman. And they have a past together." Speed revealed.

" Well you have nothing to worry about, she can't remember anything," Eric retorted.

Speed looked at him, irritated, " You know Delko, I give you way too much credit sometimes. She remembers him. I can tell when I look at her. She's practically head over heels for him."

" You're paranoid, Speed."

" You are an ass, Delko," Speed said not too kindly. He was getting angrier as he thought about the situation. He picked up his tweezers and began to collect evidence again. Eric took the cue that the conversation was over and he picked up his air tanks and took them to the van.

Speed finished his task and then met up with Alexx as she finished up on the body that was fished out of the canal. He knelt down next to Alexx and asked, " So what 's the preliminary analysis?"

" Good morning to you too, Speed. I'm doing great and how about you?" Alexx said as she turned the body over on it's back. This was her second body in less that two hours, and the day had just started.

" Leave the sarcasm to me, Alexx," Speed said as he smirked at her. " It doesn't fit you well."

" Try handling the case load I have today," Alexx said returning the smile. She noticed the sadness written in his eyes. " You want to talk about it?"

" Not really , but I know that you will get it out of me some how. Maybe later?"

" I'm open. Whatever it is I hope I can help. I never liked seeing you in turmoil."

" Thanks , Alexx. So what do we have?"

"Not much that I can tell you right now, the body is too degraded. I'll have to get him on the table to get a better idea, but what I can tell from the hole in his back that he had some help getting into the canal."

" How long has he been down there?" Eric asked as he walked up beside Speed. He had changed back into his street clothes and was putting on his sunglasses.

" Judging from his skin, I would say three days at the most. The bacteria is insanely high in the canal. I don't expect that you will be getting any trace from him. Sorry, Timmy."

Speed sighed but forced a smile to the surface. His day was getting better and better.

S/C

Lauren watched the scenery flash by as Horatio made his way to the scene. Her mind wandered from one thing to the next finally resting on the man that was sitting next to her. She couldn't quite place it, but she felt a strong connection with him. She glanced over at him as he drove and took in his features. Her heart stopped when she thought about those expressive blue eyes. Her body trembled with nervous energy as she thought about the words that she wanted to say. She opened her mouth and the words came tumbling out at a rapid pace.

" Horatio, did we have a relationship?"

The question took him by surprise and he glanced at her nervously. " What?"

" Did we have a relationship? I ask because I feel such a connection with you. Although , I am supposed to be married to Speed , I feel like we have something deeper."

Horatio stopped the Hummer at the edge of the yellow crime scene tape, and put the truck in park. He then looked at her with longing in his eyes. He couldn't do this here, but it had to be done; she had opened the door.

"Lauren, I -I don't want to do this here. Maybe we can talk over lunch or something? We got a scene to process."

" Okay , Horatio. Lunch. We will talk then, and no excuses now. I want the truth."

Horatio nodded his head and flashed her a weak smile, it betraying what he was really feeling inside. He was conflicted, wanting another chance with her, but not at the expense of his most trusted colleague and friend. How could he do this to Speed?

Getting out of the Hummer, Horatio met Detective Tripp as he crossed the tape. He threw a glance at Lauren and then updated Horatio on what was found so far. Lauren hung back , watching the red head as he worked. She noticed the methodical way he walked through the scene and his mannerisms as he collected evidence. _There's got to be something there,_ Lauren said to herself. Horatio walked over to her as she stood by the Hummer, in his hand he had a spent shell.

" Lauren, I got something for you. You want to take a look at it?" Horatio said as he placed the shell in her gloved hand.

" Sure , but I don't know if I'll be much help," Lauren said as she looked over the bullet. In less than a minute, she offered, " It's a .45 revolver, with a right hand twist. The integrity of the shell is degraded but if you could find the weapon, I could match it in no time."

Horatio threw a surprised glance to her as she continued to go over the bullet, " You sure?"

"Positive. There's no mistaken the striations... Did I just say that?" Lauren asked incredulously.

" Yes , you did. Are you ok? Is there anything else you are starting to remember?" Horatio asked.

" No . It's like with the gun, I don't know how I know this , but it seems natural to me."

" This was your life, and you are the best of the best at it. You want to go pick up the rest of them? After you do that, we will be ready to go back to the lab."

" Okay, Horatio. Just point the way."

Horatio led her to the spot where several shell casings had been spent and he left her to her work. After she had finished, they packed up their gear and rode back to the lab in silence, neither wanting to say what they felt.

S/C

" I correctly identified the bullets at the scene!" Lauren exclaimed to Eric and Speed as they sat in the break room. Lunch had just started and Lauren stood by the door and peeked her head out every so often. Speed noticed and sighed heavily and continued to read the magazine, but not really reading. Truth be told he was happy for her, but he couldn't put the nagging feeling aside about Horatio and her.

" I'm glad to see that you are progressing," Speed offered as he turned the page.

" I really feel good about it. For once I feel like I belong somewhere," she said as she spotted Horatio turn the corner.

" Good. So are you going to be down in ballistics long? I was thinking that we could go to lunch,"

" I'm sorry Speed, but I'm having lunch with Horatio," Lauren said as she waved to him.

Horatio entered the break room to thick silence. Speed glared at him for a moment, then returned to his magazine.

" How's everything going?" Horatio asked as he placed his hands on his hips.

" Peachy," Speed offered adroitly.

" Something wrong , Speed?"

" No. Nothing's wrong. Everything is how it is supposed to be. Have a great lunch." Speed replied as he got up and left. Eric glanced between the men as Speed passed Horatio, the tension between them strong. Speed looked back as the pair walked out of the break room together and turned to go to the parking garage. He felt as if he had already lost her. In frustration , he kicked at the elevator door eliciting stares from passer bys. His life , had officially stopped turning.

S/C

Horatio opened the door for Lauren as they arrived at the restaurant . He had picked this place because of the good food and outstanding service, but mainly for the privacy the little booths offered. He followed Lauren as she followed the hostess to a small booth in the corner. They would not be bothered here.

" So, Horatio, I ask again, did we have a relationship?"Lauren asked as her green eyes danced in the sunlight.

" Yes. It was before you started dating Speed. We had been together for almost a year and well, it was good," Horatio said smiling to himself.

" So what happened?"

" I was having committal issues. I knew what you wanted but I couldn't bring myself to act on it. When you started to date Speed, I saw such happiness in your eyes. I couldn't risk that just to let you know how I really felt. Then you and Speed got married and little Sascha was born almost a year after that. All these years, I've held inside what could've been."

Lauren touched Horatio's hand softly and looked into his eyes. She saw years of torment as they were released through his tears. She spoke softly, " I remember our time together, Horatio. It's blurry , but I can remember it. It was special. That's why I feel like I do right now."

" What are you saying? You are willing to give me another chance?"

" If you are willing to take another chance," Lauren replied .

" I - I can't do this to Speed. You are his wife..."

"I'll get a divorce. Horatio, I want to be happy. Even if I can't remember the life I had with him, I still want to live. I deserve that much."

Horatio was unable to speak for several moments. His heart fluttered at the prospects at getting back with her, but deep inside , he knew that once he crossed that bridge , there was no going back. Over the course of lunch , he continued to ponder the events and the obvious repercussions that would follow. It would not be pretty.

TBC...

A/N: Isn't this just horrible? I promise that it will get better.


	6. Chapter 6

Disappearing Acts

Chapter 6

" You want anything to drink, Timmy?" Alexx called from the kitchen.

" No, I'm fine , Alexx thanks," Speed replied as he watched Alexx's daughter plotting with Sascha. He smiled faintly at the memories he had with his family. How he wished that everything could rewind and Calleigh would be in his life. Now he was left with just memories.

Alexx walked into the living room and sat next to Speed on the couch. He had worn the same expression for six weeks. Sadness. She touched his leg as she remembered the day that he got the paper.

_Flashback_

_Speed looked up from his newspaper to see a man walking towards the break room. He wore a severe black suit and carried a brown envelope under his arm. He glanced at Alexx , who was taking a break as well. As the door opened , Speed instantly knew what this was about. Lauren had moved out of the apartment after weeks of 'trying to remember', and starting living in an apartment near the CSI building. At the lab, Speed had seen how close Lauren and Horatio were getting, the furtive glances that they gave each other, the small gestures that transpired between them. They didn't think anyone was watching ,but he was._

_" Mr. Speedle?" the man asked curtly._

_" Yes." Speed replied , continuing to read the paper._

_" I have some papers from Mrs. Speedle. Could you sign here?"_

_Speed looked up , trying to hold in his anger. He signed the paper and snatched the folder from the man. The man turned and walked out quietly, his job was done. Speed tore open the folder and read the papers hastily. Alexx sat quietly as she saw tears come to Speed's eyes._

_" Timmy,..." Alexx said before he got up and walked out of the break room. She followed him, recognizing the look of anger in his eyes._

_She continued to follow him as he burst into the layout room where Lauren and Horatio were going over some evidence._

_" Glad I got the two of you in one place. I got the divorce papers," Speed said as he held them up._

_Horatio looked at him with anguish in his eyes, he knew that this was coming, " Speed..."_

_" No. Don't you say a damn word to me. I trusted you, Horatio. And you ... You do this to me!"_

_" Speed , calm down. We can talk this out..." Lauren added . She had been watching intently as Speed tore into Horatio._

_" Calm down? You want me to calm down? How am I supposed to explain to Sascha that her mother is screwing "Uncle" Horatio? Any suggestions would help," Speed replied glaring at them both. _

_" I deserve to be happy, Speed. Just like you do. I haven't made progress, the doctors don't know if I will ever come out of this. I don't think it was fair to keep all of our lives in limbo. You and Sascha deserve to have someone who will love you." Lauren said as tears began to surface._

_" I thought that we had that. I know if you tried, you would remember how much you loved your family. Don't give up on us." Speed pleaded. He couldn't lose her._

_" I've made my decision, Speed." Lauren said simply._

_Speed looked down at the floor and before he knew it, he slammed Horatio's cheek with his right hand, sending him to the ground. Alexx grabbed Speed as he went in for another hit. She held him back as best as she possibly could._

_" I've made my decision as well. I quit," Speed spat. He eased up on Alexx and she let him go. He turned to walk out of the room, leaving Lauren and Horatio on the floor..._

_Present_

" Alexx? Are you there?" Speed asked in a slightly amused voice. Alexx looked up at him and smiled.

" Yeah. I was just thinking how I am going to miss you and Sascha. It won't be the same."

" I'm sorry about that, Alexx. But I couldn't continue to work there knowing..." Speed stated as his voice trailed off. He remembered the tears he had in his eyes as he told his daughter that her mommy wouldn't be coming back.

" You have nothing to apologize for. They are moving on with their lives, why shouldn't you?"Alexx replied as she glanced at the girls on the floor. She had not completely forgiven Lauren or Horatio for doing this to him. " Besides you have to think about Sascha. She's just six, she can't go through this forever, it would ruin her."

" I used to think that one morning I would wake up and Calleigh would be there, back to her old self again. But it never happened. She just left us, Alexx," Speed said as he choked back the tears. He still loved her , but he couldn't stay . He had to leave her and Miami behind.

" Timmy, don't beat yourself up about this. You tried," Alexx said as he moved to embrace him. She always thought of him as a son , and she held him as he let all of his tears run it's course. She could kill them for what they had done to her Timmy. She held him until the tears had subsided and rustled his hair. He returned the sentiment by giving her a rare smile.

" You'll have to bring Bryan and Janie up to New York to see us. Sascha would appreciate it," Speed said as he wiped his face with the back of his hand.

" Next extended break I get, I'm there. Come to think about it, I have vacation time coming up soon, which is a good thing . I need to get away from work. The new guy is kind of annoying."

" I heard about him, Ryan Wolfe? Doesn't he have tourrettes or something?"

Alexx pushed him playfully and replied, " You are so bad. He's got OCD. And he's a smug son of a bit-..."

" Language, Alexx," Speed said with humor in his voice, " There are impressionable children in the room."

"Sorry. He's walking around there as if he owns the place. You should see Delko. He's still pissed that you left, and he keeps taking it out on Wolfe. Poor guy. Sometimes I feel sorry for him," Alexx said as she got more comfortable in the chair. She enjoyed talking to Speed. " So tell me about the new job in New York. I heard from a colleague that they were very impressed with your expertise."

" You know some one in New York?" Speed asked with wide eyes.

" Yeah, Sheldon Hawkes. He's the ME for the New York police department. He works for your new boss, Mac Taylor."

" You never cease to amaze me, Alexx. You know more about my business than I do."

" That's my job. Really , tell me about it," Alexx said propping her head on her wrist.

" Well when I quit here, I immediately sent my jacket to New York , cause that's the only place besides here that I'd rather live."

" What did your mother think about you moving to the city instead of back to Syracuse?"

" She wasn't happy , but I told her that she could come down any time to see her granddaughter. We'll see how that pans out. But getting back, So I sent my jacket and with in a matter of days, Detective Taylor calls me back and offers a position. I start on Friday, so that's why I'm saying good bye tonight. I still have a lot to do , getting Sascha registered for school , getting our place livable. I think it will be good for both of us to get a new start," Speed said as he glanced at Sascha. She had a beautiful smile on her face as she played with Janie. He wondered where she got the strength to deal with all that was going on in her short life. She had took it very bad when Speed told her about the impeding divorce, but she quickly got over it. Speed suspected that he would have to take her in for counseling to help her cope with the transition.

" What about the divorce? Will you have to come back down for the ruling?" Alexx asked hesitantly. She knew that Speed had not let his love for Calleigh go.

" I'm not contesting, she's getting everything, the house, spousal support, everything she needs. There will be no need to come back. I've requested the decree be sent to New York. It will be a done deal in a month."

"Does she know that you are leaving?"

" A better question would be , does she care? I haven't had a long conversation with her since that day in the layout room. I really don't have anything to say to her or Horatio," Speed replied not wanting to revisit that pain. " So that's it."

" That's it. In a day , you'll leave here and never come back. I could snap their necks for pushing you away ," Alexx said with a hint of anger.

" I'll keep in touch with you and Delko. The Caines , well let's just say that I won't be sending Christmas cards," Speed replied with a pained smile on his face.

After talking well into the night, Speed gave Alexx a hug and kissed Janie on the cheek and said their goodbyes. He wiped the tears from Alexx's face , telling her " It's not like I'm dying , Alexx. Don't cry."

" I'm going to miss you Tim. Be good to yourself and to Sascha, and be careful. I don't want to have to come to New York for a funeral."

" Yes mom," Speed simply said as he put a slumbering Sascha in her seatbelt. He got in and cranked the Tahoe up. Backing up , he saw as Alexx continued to cry. This was harder than he thought it would be. He waved one last time before he pulled away and headed back to his house. In his mind he knew he was doing the right thing , but in his heart he wanted to drive over to her apartment and take her back. Knowing that it would never happen, he stored those feelings for Calleigh away and planned for his new life in New York.

TBC...

A/N: You know I'm not going to leave you all hanging. There is a sequel! Keep watching!

A/N # 2: Yes there will be a slight crossover with CSI: NY. But before this ends I think it will return back to Miami...or will it?


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